Diet for high blood pressure

Blood pressure is unhealthy if it rises above the normal level. The more the blood pressure above the normal level greater the health risk the health risk.
High blood pressure can be controlled if you take these steps:
* Maintain a healthy weight
* Be physically active by regular exercise
* Follow a healthy eating plan, and reduce sodium in your diet.
* Limit the amount of alcohol you drink
* If you have high blood pressure and are prescribed medication, take it as directed by physician

One of the following criteria to reduce the blood pressure is by making healthy changes to your diet. For few people, following blood pressure friendly eating habits may help them to avoid medicines altogether.

Reduce the intake of salt and sodium in your diet: Salt makes your body retain water. If you eat too much, the extra water stored in your body raises your blood pressure. This can be a particular problem if you have high blood pressure. Also, eating too much salt may mean that blood pressure medicines, such as diuretics, don’t work as well. An adult should eat no more than 6g of salt a day, but most of us eat much more than this.

Eat more fruit and vegetables: Fruit and vegetables are full of vitamins, minerals and fiber to keep your body in good condition. They also contain potassium, which helps to balance out the negative effects of salt. This has a direct effect on your blood pressure, helping to lower it.

Eating food that are rich in magnesium, potassium, and calcium: Fat-free (skim) or low-fat (1%) milk or butter- milk, fat-free, low-fat, or reduced-fat cheese, fat-free or low-fat regular or frozen yogurt are the major sources of calcium and protein. (Almonds, hazelnuts, mixed nuts, peanuts, walnuts, sunflower seeds, peanut butter, kidney beans, lentils, split peas are rich sources of energy, magnesium, protein, Broccoli, carrots, collards, green beans, green peas, kale, Lima beans, potatoes, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes are rich sources of potassium, magnesium, and fiber.)

Drink less alcohol to avoid high blood pressure : Too much alcohol can raise your blood pressure. It also contain lot of calories that can make you weight gain. This will increases the blood pressure. The current recommended limits are 21 units of alcohol a week for men, and 14 units a week for women.

Cutting back on food that are high in Fats and cholesterol are a great diet for high blood pressure : A low-fat diet can help you keep to a healthy weight, and this will help to keep your blood pressure down. Eating foods that are low in fat can also help you keep down the level of cholesterol in your blood. Too much cholesterol can raise your risk of heart disease and stroke, so if you have high blood pressure it is very important to keep your cholesterol levels low.

Also, checking food labels before buying can help you choose blood pressure friendly foods. By checking salt, sugar and saturated fat levels in the foods you buy, you can quickly start lowering your blood pressure.